As you can see, if your opinion differs from the status quo it is real easy to lose Karma. I miraculously lost 5 points on 4 different posts within the span of 3 minutes. Either several slashdotters banded together to overcome that number, or an Admin with unlimited points finished me off.
I think this will undoubtedly be a requirement for any type of implant in the human body. No one will want a piece of hardware in their body that has to be surgically removed in order to be upgraded.
How about holding your criticisms of the man and his work till at least a week after his death? If you are too hyperactive to be able to do that, then how about wording your criticisms in way that is both critical and respectful. Others have done that successfully here without having to resort to character assassinations and insensitive comments at a time when the family is grieving.
There is no appeal to authority, ad hominem, or fallacy in arguing for a bit of decency and respect in a time of grief. Seriously.
That may be the type of post-life tribute you prefer, but you cannot assume that every writer believes as you do. In so far as I know, Jordan left no request behind for rude humor about his work to be blogged on the day of his death. If he did, then I will stand corrected. You certainly have, and I hope those who know you well will oblige you one day.
You seem to prefer a happy wake, and a trivial treatment of your time on Earth. You might want to check with family and friends to insure that they can deal with that when you're gone. I know that I and many other people (not everyone) would have a difficult time dealing with rude comments about our loved ones following their deaths.
I disagree with you and the notion that the family should be the one's responsible for what they stumble upon while surfing the web. What if they are simply doing a google search for discussions about their loved one and they stumble here to read all of this? I consider it a very likely scenario that a loved one, in a time of grief, would want to be comforted by comments written by Jordan's fans.
I can't claim to speak for the family, but I do believe there exists a base rule in human behavior that you respect the dead and the family on the day's surrounding the deceased's death.
Yes, I am projecting my worst qualities on others. Surely being able to empathize with a grieving family equates to sociopathic behavior... Are you actually thinking before you type responses to me, or are you doing as I suspect, and just parroting everything I say because you lack the depth to respond in an intelligent manner?
When a man dies, he leaves behind his family and the work he has done. People here have been attacking both. His work is being ridiculed, and parodies of the writer's Eulogy are being trumpeted as high-brow humor, when it is nothing but pure disrespectful bile. That bile has now seeped onto the net, which can only hurt those who loved the man and what he did.
You can pretend that attacking Jordan's work and his character are two separate notions, when in fact they intertwine many ways. Suggesting that Jordan milked the series and characters for more money, and that he hurriedly wrote the books without a care for quality is an insult on the man's character. When attacks like this occur on the day the man dies it is despicable, and a visible symptom of those without the ability to empathize with others. Anyone who has lost a close loved one knows that anything that disrespects the character of the deceased is painful and infuriating.
I have read three of Jordan's novels, and though that does not make me his biggest fan, it certainly refutes your accusation that I have never even read his work. Apparently making a typo naming him a SF writer instead of Fantasy writer in the wee hours of the morning is enough to drive assumptions for several hours.
Even if I had never picked up a single one of his books, I have the common decency to know how disrespectful it is to attack a man's life work on the day of his death. You, and others seem to be dysfunctional in that regard, and maybe some of you are too young to have lost someone close to you understand.
I can only state that it is unsettling at the least, and many posts here have been shocking in their disrespect. I don't mind enduring the attacks of people who lack empathy, or moderators who give points based on opinion instead of the FAQ guidelines, but I don't think the family and fans of Jordan should have to endure such vile trolls on the day of Jordan's death.
I am not arguing for or against Jordan's strength as a writer. Rather, I am arguing for a little bit of respect for a man who has just passed.
Yes, I believe that anyone who has to belittle a man hours after he has died to make themselves feel whole has a psychological problem. I don't care if their comments are warranted or not, a lack of respect for the dead shows the true character of a person.
If you can't hold your tongue or fingers for just a few days after someone has died, then you probably are one of the 10% of men who walk the Earth as unfeeling sociopaths.
I do love anonymous punctuation nazis this early in the morning. It must be sad to have to attack an apostrophe when the content of the message becomes overwhelming. Though, I would much rather have you attack grammar than someone's deceased loved one.
If you think family and friends of Jordan aren't reading the web, and don't subscribe to SlashDot, then you are living in a deluded world. This is called the internet for a reason, and that is because it allows absolutely everyone in the world to connect and interact. You may think this is a bubble in which it is safe to disrespect a good man on the eve of his death, but you might as well have laughed at that joke in his widow's face.
I'm not the overseer of morality here. I just finally snappped tonight. After seeing one too many pompous Slashdot assholes once again make a heartless joke at the expense of others.
You're entitled to believe that making a parody of a man's eulogy on his death bed is appropriate, but most sensible and respectful people have the heart to let the family grieve before they take baseball bats to a man's remaining presence on earth. That presence is the work he did while he was still alive...
Oh no, I think we're caught in an endless For loop now. See, I said I'm rubber and you're glue, then you said I'm glue and you're rubber, and this could just keep going all night...
Or I guess it would if you had actually said anything accurate. See, most people here at least try to add something new to the conversation instead of cutting and pasting "I know you are but what am I" comments all night.
Ah of course, you are the pulse of human consciousness itself. You are the cold stethoscope on the flat chested nerd-body...
Every man has faults, but not every man has the dignity to respect the dead on the day of their death. Jordan was not a saint, or Shakespeare, but he also wasn't Hitler or Mussolini. Why don't you give the man a couple of days of respect before you start making yourself feel important by tearing down his career?
You can make this a multiple choice, or you can make this a true false question. Do you have the simple human dignity to allow a man's body to grow cold before you belittle everything he accomplished in his life? Is your ego so needy and shallow that it needs that beat a corpse to make it feel better?
So, you think it is funny to say that someone you respect's entire career was a farce based on bad writing? I would hate to see how you treat those you disdain.
You can be jovial and give him an Irish wake without roasting the departed. Let the morticians handle that task.
Anonymous, you don't have to be afraid to respond with your real handle. If the comments you and others are making in the wake of Jordan's death are truly just respectful and warranted criticisms of the man, then there is no reason to hide your face in shame.
If the trolls here are really just making innocent DAMNED SLASHDOT COMMENTS then why are they doing it in their Ymous, Anon guises? What does anyone have to hide if they are just giving their opinion?
The reason they are hiding their true name is because they are afraid they will be pegged for the pompous arses that they are. They're afraid their internet friends will not like them any more if they realize the true bombastic nature that compels them to post and disrespect the dead.
If I am the snob, then why have I only responded to the rude and arrogant posts? Why have I ignored the fair posts that criticize Jordan while offering respect? If I have such a problem with differing opinions, why have I only focuses on Ymous, Anon's?
I don't know. People will judge me as they will. If I am the dick here then that must make you Prince Albert.
Though I think in the greater scheme of things, trying to have a pissing contest with a dead man using an anonymous handle is far worse than thumping elitists for disrespecting the dead on a message board.
No, everyone has a right to their opinion, its just that not everyone chooses to be an asshole when they give it. When 50 trolls lash out at a successful man who has just died hours earlier, it's easy to assume they are jealous balding men who's only joy is when the penis finds the open flap in their boxers while they're spreading jam on their morning toast.
Success is achieving a desired goal. For instance, if your goal was to pretend to be wealthy, then you my friend have succeeded. You are so bombastic that now you are claiming to know the hearts and minds of all of Jordan's readers. Perhaps you should go into politics or advertising with that self-important intuition of your's.
If the series is your favorite, then surely that warrants a bit of respect for the author and his family. Why not wait a week for the family to morn before you start supporting trolls who's sole goal is to elevate his own ego at the expense of the mourners.
I'll soak my head, if you'll put your's back on straight.
I'm not acting. I really am the person you describe. I have an opinion, and it is absolutely what I believe. I hate elitists, and I love to see them fall on their faces.
I bet your real life is just like your online life. You get really angry that everyone isn't bowing down and serving your will, and then some little kid barfs up his ice cream cone and you have to barf it up.
If everyone online thinks you're a pathetic narcissist, then what does everyone in real life say that views your mediocre attempts at being a man?
Criticizing someone on their death bed before they've had a proper burial is just wrong any way you look at it. If Robert Jordan had been Hitler or Charles Manson, then I could completely understand it.
This was simply a science fiction writer who was successful at what he did. Whether you think that success was warranted or not, you can surely hold your tongue (with your fingers so you can't type) until he's been properly laid to rest.
The OP was yet another elitist who thinks his ego entitles him to cross all the bounds of morality and decency. He thought nothing of the writer's family, his rabid fans, or of the simple protocol entitled to all members of humanity. His only goal was to sew another one-liner rag into his poorly tailored ego, and gain praise for making a shallow joke.
There's nothing wrong with hating Jordan's books, but have some manners with the timing of it, and when you do it, don't act like a pompous ass.
I have only read 3 books written by Robert Jordan. I don't think my response was a wall of text so much as a large ASC-II mirror. Despite missing the fact that the OP stated that he stopped after book 9, I think I painted a fairly accurate portrait of his ego, and lack of will towards living a life that actually contains significant events.
It is one thing to criticize a writer, it is quite another thing to do it on their death bed before they've even had a proper funeral. A fair critique also doesn't sum up someone's entire career as the few books he may have misfired on. It contains the good and the bad.
I have a real problem with elitism, and elitists in general. (this is where you dissect my post and find a way to make the empty pot calling the kettle black argument)
I strongly dislike people who are pompous, rude, and arrogant in their assessment of the world around them. I don't mind negative opinions, so much as people who elevate themselves while they condescend upon others.
I am tired of the notion that being a "nerd" automatically entitles someone to be a dick. I'm sure all of these assholes are ten times smarter than myself, but humility warrants greater respect than pissing contests with the dead.
Yet another self-important SlashDot post in which the writer elevates himself to the position of critic. This time the elitist pretends that despite accomplishing nothing of import within the confines of his own life, that he is qualified to tear down the accomplishments of another.
Here's a news flash for you. Yet another year has passed and you are still not published. Robert Jordan succeeded while you continue to fail.
When publishers start giving million dollar advances to people who troll message boards in search of self-confidence, shoot me a gloating private message. Until then, you might want to consider what it will be like 20 years from now when absolutely nothing will have changed in your life... Yes, you will still be working the same mediocre IT job...
That means that even though Jordan had the balls to place his pen name on the 11 books in the series, you lack the nuts to do the same for one short post.
2) It critiqued an 11 book series with knowledge obtained from reading them.
That means that despite the writing being, "disjointed," and "dragging" in your opinion, after book 5 you continued to read for 6 more books. That either makes you a moron, or a disingenuous liar.
No person in their right mind would continue reading a series of books that they hated, by an author who's writing style irked them so much.
3) You have disrespected the dead.
I know, in these modern times we live in, the dead are just proper nouns on the screen, and no one gets hurt... right? What happens when the family of the author reads your trite and useless comments at the top of the replies to this story?
Are life and death so trivial to you that you have to wield elitism at the dead? Are you really overcompensating that much? I'll let you figure that one out.
My guess is that you are one of those people who think, "Hey, I could write. I could write if I could just find the time and will to sit down and do it." You probably have a negative comment to say about every movie you see, every tv show that you watch, and every book that you read. You think you have been gifted by some divine ability to discern the plot holes, and flaws in every narratives...
Well guess what.... Its all in your head. Yet another successful author has died, yet another year has passed, and you have accomplished nothing but trolling yet another message board.
Perhaps you need to get over your fear of "doing" and actually try to create something that isn't a critique for once. Why don't you put yourself out there for the masses to chew on for a while, and see if you are the God given gift your ego claims you to be.
In other words, shit or get off the pot. Stop being a worthless critic, and do something that has some value to society. Anyone can be a self important asshole, but are you brave enough to take a few turds in the face for posterity?
I can imagine that sites will simply upgrade the technology that displays advertisements to insure they are viewed before the actual content is shown. It could be as simply as giving the user a token when they view the advertisements which is required to view the content. The battle will continue back and forth for many decades, long after HTML and Javascript have died.
With a quantum communication device you can transmit your status and location from underground to help above. This will also revolutionize space exploration via mechanical avatars controlled by quantum communication. (HD Instant images and tactile feedback)
I think it's great that adult stem cell research has been so successful. Also, according to this story: http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070604/full/447618 a.html they can now take skin cells and turn them into embryonic stem cells.
Soon there will be no need to use embryos for stem cell research.
Slashdot Mirror
As you can see, if your opinion differs from the status quo it is real easy to lose Karma. I miraculously lost 5 points on 4 different posts within the span of 3 minutes. Either several slashdotters banded together to overcome that number, or an Admin with unlimited points finished me off.
If the dragon doesn't fly on your first date, then she's not a keeper.
I think this will undoubtedly be a requirement for any type of implant in the human body. No one will want a piece of hardware in their body that has to be surgically removed in order to be upgraded.
How about holding your criticisms of the man and his work till at least a week after his death? If you are too hyperactive to be able to do that, then how about wording your criticisms in way that is both critical and respectful. Others have done that successfully here without having to resort to character assassinations and insensitive comments at a time when the family is grieving.
There is no appeal to authority, ad hominem, or fallacy in arguing for a bit of decency and respect in a time of grief. Seriously.
That may be the type of post-life tribute you prefer, but you cannot assume that every writer believes as you do. In so far as I know, Jordan left no request behind for rude humor about his work to be blogged on the day of his death. If he did, then I will stand corrected. You certainly have, and I hope those who know you well will oblige you one day.
You seem to prefer a happy wake, and a trivial treatment of your time on Earth. You might want to check with family and friends to insure that they can deal with that when you're gone. I know that I and many other people (not everyone) would have a difficult time dealing with rude comments about our loved ones following their deaths.
I disagree with you and the notion that the family should be the one's responsible for what they stumble upon while surfing the web. What if they are simply doing a google search for discussions about their loved one and they stumble here to read all of this? I consider it a very likely scenario that a loved one, in a time of grief, would want to be comforted by comments written by Jordan's fans.
I can't claim to speak for the family, but I do believe there exists a base rule in human behavior that you respect the dead and the family on the day's surrounding the deceased's death.
Yes, I am projecting my worst qualities on others. Surely being able to empathize with a grieving family equates to sociopathic behavior... Are you actually thinking before you type responses to me, or are you doing as I suspect, and just parroting everything I say because you lack the depth to respond in an intelligent manner?
When a man dies, he leaves behind his family and the work he has done. People here have been attacking both. His work is being ridiculed, and parodies of the writer's Eulogy are being trumpeted as high-brow humor, when it is nothing but pure disrespectful bile. That bile has now seeped onto the net, which can only hurt those who loved the man and what he did.
You can pretend that attacking Jordan's work and his character are two separate notions, when in fact they intertwine many ways. Suggesting that Jordan milked the series and characters for more money, and that he hurriedly wrote the books without a care for quality is an insult on the man's character. When attacks like this occur on the day the man dies it is despicable, and a visible symptom of those without the ability to empathize with others. Anyone who has lost a close loved one knows that anything that disrespects the character of the deceased is painful and infuriating.
I have read three of Jordan's novels, and though that does not make me his biggest fan, it certainly refutes your accusation that I have never even read his work. Apparently making a typo naming him a SF writer instead of Fantasy writer in the wee hours of the morning is enough to drive assumptions for several hours.
Even if I had never picked up a single one of his books, I have the common decency to know how disrespectful it is to attack a man's life work on the day of his death. You, and others seem to be dysfunctional in that regard, and maybe some of you are too young to have lost someone close to you understand.
I can only state that it is unsettling at the least, and many posts here have been shocking in their disrespect. I don't mind enduring the attacks of people who lack empathy, or moderators who give points based on opinion instead of the FAQ guidelines, but I don't think the family and fans of Jordan should have to endure such vile trolls on the day of Jordan's death.
That is all.
I am not arguing for or against Jordan's strength as a writer. Rather, I am arguing for a little bit of respect for a man who has just passed.
Yes, I believe that anyone who has to belittle a man hours after he has died to make themselves feel whole has a psychological problem. I don't care if their comments are warranted or not, a lack of respect for the dead shows the true character of a person.
If you can't hold your tongue or fingers for just a few days after someone has died, then you probably are one of the 10% of men who walk the Earth as unfeeling sociopaths.
I do love anonymous punctuation nazis this early in the morning. It must be sad to have to attack an apostrophe when the content of the message becomes overwhelming. Though, I would much rather have you attack grammar than someone's deceased loved one.
If you think family and friends of Jordan aren't reading the web, and don't subscribe to SlashDot, then you are living in a deluded world. This is called the internet for a reason, and that is because it allows absolutely everyone in the world to connect and interact. You may think this is a bubble in which it is safe to disrespect a good man on the eve of his death, but you might as well have laughed at that joke in his widow's face.
I'm not the overseer of morality here. I just finally snappped tonight. After seeing one too many pompous Slashdot assholes once again make a heartless joke at the expense of others.
You're entitled to believe that making a parody of a man's eulogy on his death bed is appropriate, but most sensible and respectful people have the heart to let the family grieve before they take baseball bats to a man's remaining presence on earth. That presence is the work he did while he was still alive...
Think about it and have a good night.
Oh no, I think we're caught in an endless For loop now. See, I said I'm rubber and you're glue, then you said I'm glue and you're rubber, and this could just keep going all night...
Or I guess it would if you had actually said anything accurate. See, most people here at least try to add something new to the conversation instead of cutting and pasting "I know you are but what am I" comments all night.
Ah of course, you are the pulse of human consciousness itself. You are the cold stethoscope on the flat chested nerd-body...
Every man has faults, but not every man has the dignity to respect the dead on the day of their death. Jordan was not a saint, or Shakespeare, but he also wasn't Hitler or Mussolini. Why don't you give the man a couple of days of respect before you start making yourself feel important by tearing down his career?
You can make this a multiple choice, or you can make this a true false question. Do you have the simple human dignity to allow a man's body to grow cold before you belittle everything he accomplished in his life? Is your ego so needy and shallow that it needs that beat a corpse to make it feel better?
So, you think it is funny to say that someone you respect's entire career was a farce based on bad writing? I would hate to see how you treat those you disdain.
You can be jovial and give him an Irish wake without roasting the departed. Let the morticians handle that task.
Anonymous, you don't have to be afraid to respond with your real handle. If the comments you and others are making in the wake of Jordan's death are truly just respectful and warranted criticisms of the man, then there is no reason to hide your face in shame.
If the trolls here are really just making innocent DAMNED SLASHDOT COMMENTS then why are they doing it in their Ymous, Anon guises? What does anyone have to hide if they are just giving their opinion?
The reason they are hiding their true name is because they are afraid they will be pegged for the pompous arses that they are. They're afraid their internet friends will not like them any more if they realize the true bombastic nature that compels them to post and disrespect the dead.
If I am the snob, then why have I only responded to the rude and arrogant posts? Why have I ignored the fair posts that criticize Jordan while offering respect? If I have such a problem with differing opinions, why have I only focuses on Ymous, Anon's?
I don't know. People will judge me as they will. If I am the dick here then that must make you Prince Albert.
Though I think in the greater scheme of things, trying to have a pissing contest with a dead man using an anonymous handle is far worse than thumping elitists for disrespecting the dead on a message board.
No, everyone has a right to their opinion, its just that not everyone chooses to be an asshole when they give it. When 50 trolls lash out at a successful man who has just died hours earlier, it's easy to assume they are jealous balding men who's only joy is when the penis finds the open flap in their boxers while they're spreading jam on their morning toast.
Success is achieving a desired goal. For instance, if your goal was to pretend to be wealthy, then you my friend have succeeded. You are so bombastic that now you are claiming to know the hearts and minds of all of Jordan's readers. Perhaps you should go into politics or advertising with that self-important intuition of your's.
If the series is your favorite, then surely that warrants a bit of respect for the author and his family. Why not wait a week for the family to morn before you start supporting trolls who's sole goal is to elevate his own ego at the expense of the mourners. I'll soak my head, if you'll put your's back on straight.
I'm not acting. I really am the person you describe. I have an opinion, and it is absolutely what I believe. I hate elitists, and I love to see them fall on their faces.
I bet your real life is just like your online life. You get really angry that everyone isn't bowing down and serving your will, and then some little kid barfs up his ice cream cone and you have to barf it up.
If everyone online thinks you're a pathetic narcissist, then what does everyone in real life say that views your mediocre attempts at being a man?
Criticizing someone on their death bed before they've had a proper burial is just wrong any way you look at it. If Robert Jordan had been Hitler or Charles Manson, then I could completely understand it.
This was simply a science fiction writer who was successful at what he did. Whether you think that success was warranted or not, you can surely hold your tongue (with your fingers so you can't type) until he's been properly laid to rest.
The OP was yet another elitist who thinks his ego entitles him to cross all the bounds of morality and decency. He thought nothing of the writer's family, his rabid fans, or of the simple protocol entitled to all members of humanity. His only goal was to sew another one-liner rag into his poorly tailored ego, and gain praise for making a shallow joke.
There's nothing wrong with hating Jordan's books, but have some manners with the timing of it, and when you do it, don't act like a pompous ass.
I have only read 3 books written by Robert Jordan. I don't think my response was a wall of text so much as a large ASC-II mirror. Despite missing the fact that the OP stated that he stopped after book 9, I think I painted a fairly accurate portrait of his ego, and lack of will towards living a life that actually contains significant events.
It is one thing to criticize a writer, it is quite another thing to do it on their death bed before they've even had a proper funeral. A fair critique also doesn't sum up someone's entire career as the few books he may have misfired on. It contains the good and the bad.
I have a real problem with elitism, and elitists in general. (this is where you dissect my post and find a way to make the empty pot calling the kettle black argument)
I strongly dislike people who are pompous, rude, and arrogant in their assessment of the world around them. I don't mind negative opinions, so much as people who elevate themselves while they condescend upon others.
I am tired of the notion that being a "nerd" automatically entitles someone to be a dick. I'm sure all of these assholes are ten times smarter than myself, but humility warrants greater respect than pissing contests with the dead.
Yet another self-important SlashDot post in which the writer elevates himself to the position of critic. This time the elitist pretends that despite accomplishing nothing of import within the confines of his own life, that he is qualified to tear down the accomplishments of another.
Here's a news flash for you. Yet another year has passed and you are still not published. Robert Jordan succeeded while you continue to fail.
When publishers start giving million dollar advances to people who troll message boards in search of self-confidence, shoot me a gloating private message. Until then, you might want to consider what it will be like 20 years from now when absolutely nothing will have changed in your life... Yes, you will still be working the same mediocre IT job...
Let's analyze a few aspects of your post:
1) It was anonymous.
That means that even though Jordan had the balls to place his pen name on the 11 books in the series, you lack the nuts to do the same for one short post.
2) It critiqued an 11 book series with knowledge obtained from reading them.
That means that despite the writing being, "disjointed," and "dragging" in your opinion, after book 5 you continued to read for 6 more books. That either makes you a moron, or a disingenuous liar.
No person in their right mind would continue reading a series of books that they hated, by an author who's writing style irked them so much.
3) You have disrespected the dead.
I know, in these modern times we live in, the dead are just proper nouns on the screen, and no one gets hurt... right? What happens when the family of the author reads your trite and useless comments at the top of the replies to this story?
Are life and death so trivial to you that you have to wield elitism at the dead? Are you really overcompensating that much? I'll let you figure that one out.
My guess is that you are one of those people who think, "Hey, I could write. I could write if I could just find the time and will to sit down and do it." You probably have a negative comment to say about every movie you see, every tv show that you watch, and every book that you read. You think you have been gifted by some divine ability to discern the plot holes, and flaws in every narratives...
Well guess what.... Its all in your head. Yet another successful author has died, yet another year has passed, and you have accomplished nothing but trolling yet another message board.
Perhaps you need to get over your fear of "doing" and actually try to create something that isn't a critique for once. Why don't you put yourself out there for the masses to chew on for a while, and see if you are the God given gift your ego claims you to be.
In other words, shit or get off the pot. Stop being a worthless critic, and do something that has some value to society. Anyone can be a self important asshole, but are you brave enough to take a few turds in the face for posterity?
I can imagine that sites will simply upgrade the technology that displays advertisements to insure they are viewed before the actual content is shown. It could be as simply as giving the user a token when they view the advertisements which is required to view the content. The battle will continue back and forth for many decades, long after HTML and Javascript have died.
There's always a way.
With a quantum communication device you can transmit your status and location from underground to help above. This will also revolutionize space exploration via mechanical avatars controlled by quantum communication. (HD Instant images and tactile feedback)
I think it's great that adult stem cell research has been so successful. Also, according to this story: http://www.nature.com/news/2007/070604/full/447618 a.html they can now take skin cells and turn them into embryonic stem cells.
Soon there will be no need to use embryos for stem cell research.